“Then said I, Ah, Lord God! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.”
Jeremiah's complaint: 'At this I said, "Alas, Sovereign LORD, how completely you have deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, "You will have peace," when the sword is at the throat!"' This verse introduces one of Jeremiah's characteristic laments: he complains that God deceived the people by allowing false prophets to proclaim peace (verse 10 suggests these prophets claimed God's authorization) while judgment was imminent. The phrase 'You will have peace' reflects the message of the false prophets who assured the people that God would protect Jerusalem and the temple; Jeremiah suggests that God allowed (or that God is blamed for allowing) these deceptive messages to circulate, lulling the people into false security. Theologically, this verse raises one of the most difficult questions in Jeremiah: if God is sovereign, why does He permit false prophecy? Why allow the people to be deceived? The verse establishes a tension between divine sovereignty and the existence of deceptive prophets.
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